Body of Israeli hostage identified after recovery in Gaza

JERUSALEM —  Israel’s army confirmed that one of the bodies recovered from Gaza earlier this month was that of 23-year-old hostage Hamzah AlZayadni.

The army said the identification was made by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and Israel’s police and the family has been notified. The army said its forces recovered the bodies of Hamzah and his father from an underground tunnel in the Rafah area and returned them to Israel.

His father, Yosef AlZayadni, had been identified earlier this week. The father and son were thought to still be alive before this week’s announcement. They were kidnapped together from Kibbutz Holit, when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Friday news came as Israel and Hamas are considering a cease-fire deal that would free remaining hostages and halt the fighting in Gaza. Israel says about a third of the remaining 100 hostages have died, but believes as many as half could be dead. Their fates could ramp up pressure on Israel to move forward with a deal.

Mourners carry the casket during Hamzah AlZayadni’s funeral Friday.

(Ariel Schalit / Associated Press)

The Hostages Families Forum, which represents families of the hostages, said Hamzah was a nature lover who had deep affection for animals and was beloved by his friends. He leaves behind a wife and two children.

About 250 hostages were taken in the Hamas attack in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and launched the latest war.

In Israel’s retaliatory ground and air assaults, more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 109,300 wounded, Gaza’s Health Ministry says. Those figures do not differentiate between fighters or civilians, but officials says women and children make up more than half the fatalities.

The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. It blames Hamas for civilian deaths because it says militants operate in residential areas. Israel’s air and ground operations have driven hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into sprawling tent camps along the coast with limited access to food and other essentials. The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced.